Hemostasis in patients operated on for abdominal hemorrhage. 3. Boundary deviations of hemostasis

The fibrinolytic process in the plasma of patients operated for abdominal haemorrhages have been investigated. The results allowed to conclude that the blockade of fibrinolysis did not effect on the course of the disease. The high level of the inhibitors and of the platelets hypoaggregation can be considered as a cause increased of the recurring gastrointestinal haemorrhages. It was demonstrated that the probability of DIC-syndrome development increased at the aggravation of the patient's state after the operation.     

Joint loading with valgus bracing in patients with varus gonarthrosis

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a brace designed to unload varus degenerative knees actually alters medial compartment loads by decreasing the adduction moment. Eleven patients who had arthrosis confined to the medial compartment were fitted with a valgus brace and tested before and after brace wear with pain and function scoring instruments and by automated gait analysis. The biomechanical data from these patients were compared with those from 11 healthy control subjects. Scores from an analog pain scale decreased 48% with brace wear, and function with activities of daily living increased 79%. Mean adduction moment without the brace measured 4.0 +/- 0.8% body weight times height versus 3.6 +/- 0.8% body weight times height when wearing the brace (10% decrease). The mean adduction moment for control subjects was 3.5 +/- 0.6% body weight times height. Thus, the mean adduction moment decreased from approximately one standard deviation from the normal mean to a value that is similar to the control value. Nine of 11 patients had a decrease in the adduction moment with the brace, five of 11 patients had a reduction higher than 10%, and decreases in this moment were as high as 32%. This study shows that pain, function, and biomechanical knee loading can be altered by a brace designed to unload the medial compartment of the knee.     

Healing bone using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 and copolymer

Middiaphyseal 2.5-cm segmental defects in the right femurs of 12 sheep were stabilized with stainless steel plates and implanted with (1) 2 mg recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 and poly[D,L-(lactide-co-glycolide)] bioerodible polymer with autologous blood (n = 7), (2) 4 mg recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 and poly[D,L-(lactide-co-glycolide)] and blood (n = 3), or (3) poly[D,L-(lactide-co-glycolide)] and blood only (n = 2). Bone healing was evaluated for 1 year using clinical, radiographic, gross pathologic, and histologic techniques. Union occurred in three sheep in Group 1, two in Group 2, and none in Group 3. In the animals that healed, new bone first was visible radiographically between Weeks 2 and 6 after implantation; new bone mineral content equaled that of the intact femur not surgically treated by Week 16; recanalization of the medullary cavity approached completion at Week 52; and at necropsy the surgical treated femurs were rigidly healed, the poly[D,L-(lactide-co-glycolide)] was resorbed completely, and woven and lamellar bone bridged the defect site. In two Group 1 sheep euthanized at Weeks 2 and 6, polymer particles were permeated by occasional multinucleated giant cells. Some plasma cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils were present locally. The poly[D,L-(lactide-co-glycolide)] tended to fragment during surgical implantation. Despite these observations, the recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2/poly[D,L-(lactide-co-glycolide)] implant was able to heal large segmental bone defects in this demanding model.     

Standards and platforms for open distributed processing

There has recently been considerable research and development in the field of open distributed processing. The goal of this work is to enable access to distributed services without concern for the underlying environment. A number of standards and platforms have emerged to achieve this goal. This paper provides a tutorial introduction to these initiatives. In particular, the paper examines the ISO standard for a reference model for open distributed processing, OMG's CORBA and OSF's DCE. The paper concludes that these initiatives are different in scope and should be viewed as complementary. The paper also speculates on a path to convergence between the three initiatives although a number of issues remain to be solved before such a convergence can become a reality     

The identification and localization of a human gene with sequence similarity to Polycomblike of Drosophila melanogaster

The Drosophila Polycomb group (PcG) of genes is required for the epigenetic regulation of a number of important developmental genes, including the homeotic (Hox) genes. The members of this gene family encode proteins that do not share sequence similarity, implying that each plays a unique role in this epigenetic repression mechanism. Polycomblike (Pcl) was the second PcG gene to be identified. We report here the isolation and characterization of a human cDNA, termed PHF1, which encodes a protein with significant sequence similarity to Drosophila Polycomblike (PCL). The region of similarity between PHF1 and PCL includes the two PHD fingers (C4-H-C3 motif), the region between them, and sequences C-terminal to the PHD fingers. PHF1 and PCL are 34% identical over this 258-residue region. PHF1 was mapped to 6p21.3 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. While several genetic diseases that are likely to result from developmental abnormalities map to this region, PHF1 is not a clear candidate gene for any of them.     

Sanguinarine and ellipticine cytotoxic alkaloids isolated from well-known antitumor plants. Intracellular targets of their action

Common molecular and cellular targets for alkaloids sanguinarine and ellipticine, isolated from well-known antitumor plants (as well as from their various natural and synthetic derivatives), have been studied and described. Sanguinarine and ellipticine are characterized by significant biological activities including a high antitumor potential. Among the important targets of their action the following are to be noted. 1. DNA and other double helical polynucleotides. Due to the ability of DNA-intercalation sanguinarine, ellipticine and some of their derivatives can modify the double helical structures and topological forms of polynucleotides. The results of these modifications in intercalative complexes manifest themselves in the inhibition of numerous enzymatic reactions, dependent on the structures and topological forms of DNA and other polynucleotides. 2. ATP synthesis in mitochondria. Most of DNA-intercalators, including sanguinarine and ellipticine, belong to a group of penetrating (hydrophobic) cations, which are accumulated near the external side of inner mitochondrial membranes during the membrane energization. They neutralize negative charges, arising just as the inner mitochondrial membranes become energized. By this neutralization of membrane charges the ATP synthesis in inhibited and the oxidative phosphorylation renders to be uncoupled. All studied DNA-intercalators under certain conditions uncouple the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Apparent correlation between the agents' ability for DNA-intercalation and for mitochondrial ATP synthesis inhibition seems to be determined by the importance for both types of reactions of molecule hydrophobicity and positive charges. 3. Cholinesterase systems. Sanguinarine, ellipticine and some of their derivatives, like other DNA-intercalators studied, inhibit also the enzymatic activities of cholinesterase systems due to hydrophobicity and positive charges of their molecules. 4. Sanguinarine (and chelerythrine), are also capable of inhibiting the biological activity of SH-dependent enzymes and proteins. Due to the reactivity of iminium groups in sanguinarine and chelerythrine molecules with nucleophilic reagents, e.g. thiol groups of enzymes and other proteins, the activities of SH-enzymes and proteins are inhibited. In particular, sanguinarine and chelerythrine inhibit enzymatic activity of some SH-dependent ATPases, including membrane-bound cation-transport ATPases. The earlier accumulated experience of the application in medicine of plant saps and extracts containing these alkaloids, and of the treatment of many diseases (including benign and malignant tumors) by isolated alkaloids may be explained, to a certain extent, by the inhibition of activities of the above mentioned cellular targets. The selective toxicity of these alkaloids for the number of transformed cells can be explained in the same manner.     

Risk factors in dengue shock syndrome

Despite a growing body of evidence predominantly, but not exclusively, from Thailand suggesting that the risk of developing dengue shock syndrome (DSS) is greatest following an anamnestic dengue infection, particularly if the most recent infection was with dengue 2 virus, there continues to be debate about the justification for these claims. This report describes a five-year, prospective study in two townships (suburbs) in Yangon (Rangoon) Myanmar (Burma) in which attempts were made to confirm the data from an earlier prospective study in Thailand and to address some of the criticism of earlier studies. This investigation found the incidence of anamnestic dengue infections in DSS patients to be significantly higher than in the community from which they were drawn and a significantly higher risk of developing DSS following an anamnestic infection (particularly with dengue 2 virus) than following a primary infection with any serotype.